For the Austrian and American conductor born in 1905, see Kurt Herbert Adler. For the German-American businessman, see Kurt S. Adler.
Kurt Adler (March 1, 1907 – September 21, 1977) was an Austrian and American conductor, chorusmaster, author and pianist. He was best known as the chorus master and lead conductor of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1943 to 1973. He conducted orchestras in Europe, North America, Canada and Mexico.
Early life
Kurt Adler was born in Jindřichův Hradec, Bohemia, Austria-Hungary (now the Czech Republic) to a bourgeois Jewish family. He was the only child of Siegfried Adler (born 1876), a textile factory owner, and Olga (Fürth) Adler (born 1882). Both parents were murdered by the Gestapo during World War II, after they were deported in 1942, from Vienna, Austria, to Izbica concentration camp, which served as a transfer camp, to the Bełżec extermination camp in occupied Poland on May 15, 1942. His paternal grandparents, Jakob and Eveline Adler are buried in Neuhaus (now Jindřichův Hradec), Hebrew Cemetery. His maternal grandparents, Albert and Katherine Fürth are buried in Sušice, Czech Republic.
During the 1930s many now-famous musicians, including Adler, emigrated to the United States to escape from Nazism. Adler left for the United States on October 9, 1938. He sailed from Rotterdam, Holland in 1938 on the "SS Statendam". He was naturalized on March 21, 1944.
Education
Kurt Adler began studying music at age six under cantor Jacob Fürnberg, in Jindřichův Hradec. His first public appearance was at age fourteen.
His entire musical education was in Vienna, Austria. Among his teachers were Richard Robert, Fanny Boehm-Kramer, Alexander Manhart (1875–1936) (piano); Karl Weigl (1881–1949), Guido Adler (1855–1941), Wilhelm Fischer (1886–1962) (theory); Ferdinand Foll (1867–1929), Hermann Weigert (1890–1955), and Erich Kleiber (1890–1956) (conducting). In 1925, he graduated from the classical Akademisches Gymnasium, Vienna. In 1927, he earned a degree in musicology from the University of Vienna, corresponding to Master of Arts, Philosophical Faculty of the University of Vienna.
Maestro Adler's press announcement upon his recruitment as chorusmaster of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City said, "That since Giulio Setti's time, ten years ago, there never has been a single chorusmaster for the entire Italian, French, German, English repertoire and with my appointment, the gradual reorganization and training will again be centralized in one hand."
1954 Musical Director of opera performances at Greek Theatre, Hollywood, California
Conductor of numerous broadcasts and television performances of operatic and symphonic music
Teaching positions
1929–1932 Organizer and Conductor of the Students Orchestra of the German Academy of Music (Deutsche Akademie für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Prag), Prague, Czechoslovakia
1934–1935 Conductor, orchestra of the Kyiv Conservatory of Music, Kyiv (Soviet Union)
1935–1937 Professor of the Opera class at the Conservatory of Music, Stalingrad (Soviet Union)
1938–1941 Teacher of piano, theory; classes in chamber music; coach; New York City
Publications
1943 Adler, K.: Songs of many wars, from the sixteenth to the twentieth century. New York, Howell, Soskin 1943, 221p. Edited and arranged by Kurt Adler. (A collection of fighting songs which oppressed people of all times and nation have sung in their fight against tyranny.)
1953–1956 Adler, K.: Operatic anthology: celebrated arias selected from operas by old and modern composers, in five volumes / compiled by Kurt Adler. New York, G. Schirmer c1953–1956. Edited and arranged by Kurt Adler.
1955 Adler, K.: Famous operatic choruses. New York, G. Schirmer c1955, Edited and arranged by Kurt Adler.
1956 Adler, K.: The Prima donna‘s album: 42 celebrated arias from famous operas. New York, G. Schirmer c1956, Edited and arranged by Kurt Adler.
1960 Adler, K.: Songs From Light Operas for soprano. New York, G. Schirmer 1960, Edited and arranged by Kurt Adler.
1965 Adler, K.: The art of accompanying and coaching. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press 1965.
1967Adler, K.: Phonetics and diction in singing: Italian, French, Spanish, German. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press 1967.
1968 Adler, K.: Duets from the great operas, for soprano and baritone. New York, G. Schirmer 1968, Edited and arranged by Kurt Adler.
1968 Adler, K.: Duets from the great operas, for soprano and tenor. New York, G. Schirmer, Edited and arranged by Kurt Adler.
1971 Adler, K.: The art of accompanying and coaching. New York, Da Capo Press
1974 Adler, K.: Phonetics and diction in singing: Italian, French, Spanish, German. Minneapolis, University of Minnesota Press, 2nd ed.
1975–1977 Adler, K.: Operatic anthology: celebrated arias selected from operas by old and modern composers, in five volumes / Edited and arranged by Kurt Adler. Rochester, N.Y., National Braille Association 1975–1977.
1976 Adler, K.: The art of accompanying and coaching. New York, Da Capo Press
1980 Adler, K.: The art of accompanying and coaching. New York, Da Capo Press
1985 Adler, K.: The art of accompanying and coaching. New York, Da Capo Press
Personal life
In 1937, Adler partnered with Nina Boldin (1912-2004)in Stalingrad, USSR, which produced a daughter, Ingrid.
On March 10, 1948, Adler married Irene Hawthorne (1917–1986) (birth name Irene McNutt), former prima ballerina soloist of the Metropolitan Opera.
On September 16, 1965, Adler married Christiane Tocco, which produced a daughter, Eveline (Eva).
"Artist's Questionnaire" (via folder in Box: OS 184 – "Correspondence and Clippings – Oversized, Undated". Identifier – DTLPID: 5941670). New York Press Bureau. November 13, 1945.
"Press Announcement" (manuscript) (via folder in Box 1: "Correspondence and Clippings, 1922–1965, 2010". Identifier – DTLPID: 5921725). November 13, 1945.
Mize, John Townsend Hinton, ed. (1951). The International Who Is Who in Music (5th Mid-Century ed.). Chicago: Who is Who in Music, Ltd. Printed by Sterling Publishing Company. Laurence [Lawrence] Morse Fine (1886–1958). LCCN29-7618; OCLC7933245(all editions).
"Kurt Adler, 70, Conductor of 20 Different Operas at Met During 22 Years". Vol.127, no. 43706 (Late Cityed.). September 22, 1977. p.14 (section D; digital image 28 of 75).
"Kurt Adler, opera conductor and chorusmaster of the Metropolitan Opera from 1945 through 1973, died yesterday after a long illness. He was 70 years old and lived in Butler, N.J."
"New York, U.S., State and Federal Naturalization Records, 1794–1943": "Kurt Adler" (Box 291; Roll 547). "Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 1842–1959" (Declaration Nos. 425401–426400). NARA, Northeastern Region, New York, New York.
"Petitions for Naturalization from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York": "Kurt Adler" (Box 878; Roll 547; Image Group No. (aka DGS): 7307834; Affiliate Film No. 1554; Affiliate Publication No. M1972). "Declarations of Intention for Citizenship, 1842–1959" (Declaration Nos. 499439–470590). NARA, Northeast Region, Bayonne, New Jersey.
"New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925–1958". "List of Manifest of Alien Passengers for the United States Immigrant Inspector at Port of Arrival": Dutch SSStatendam. Departing Rotterdam October 1, 1938, Arriving Port of New York October 9, 1938". Line 1: "Adler, Kurt". Roll 6231: Vols. 13416 (October 7, 1938) – 13417 (October 9, 1938); Image Group No. (aka DGS): 4876360; NARA Microfilm Publication T715.
→ Adler completed his Naturalization upon Oath of Allegiance, sworn in open court on March 22, 1944; Petition was granted and Certificate of Naturalization, Line 24 P3, List no. 14860, Certificate no. 5909352 was issued.
General references
1997 Rudolf M. Wlaschek: Biographia Judaica Bohemiae, 2 vol., Dortmund: Forschungsstelle Ostmitteleuropa, 1997, 75 S., ISBN978-3-923293-57-5
1995 Walter Pass, Gerhard Scheit, Wilhelm Svoboda: Orpheus im Exil – Die Vertreibung der österreichischen Musik von 1938 bis 1945, Wien: Verlag fur Gesellschaftskritik, 1995, 409 p., ISBN978-3-85115-200-5
